This very unique fabric collection from Alison Glass for Andover is actually true to it's name - handcrafted. From Alison's blog:
"The backstory is pretty simple. Andover Fabrics (well, really the people at Andover, but you know) asked me if I wanted to develop a fabric line using a batik type printing process. A lot of the time we (maybe it’s just me?) think of batik as a style, as in ‘I like batiks’ or ‘I don’t like batiks.’ The truth is, batik is a technique that uses wax-resist dying to make patterns on cloth. There is a huge, rich history to the technique. It is part of the culture of many countries, each with varying styles and specific ways of using wax, dye, and tools to get vastly different results. Indonesian batik is especially well known, so much so that it was designated as a ‘Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity’ by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) in 2009. Yes, this is from my google search research, but it is really all very interesting, totally worth your own google search if you want to learn more."
"This fabric is very different, it’s created entirely by hand. Handcrafted is a new interpretation of the ancient wax resist fabric dying art form. It is made in Indonesia by people who have great skill. Having had the privilege of seeing a handful of photos of the process, I feel a deep connection to the idea that many hands went into the process of making this fabric. This bring me to something I feel strongly about. I think it’s easy to give credit to the designer for coming up with the idea or the artwork, it’s an obvious statement. I am, frankly, so lucky to get to be a part of the art on surfaces process, but it’s not at all just me. When you look at a piece of fabric, and think about the designer, think also about the art director and staff that ready the art for the mill, the agents who travel far to communicate with people who actually physically make the goods, weather it is in a large mill or in a village in a remote area. Think that there are real people, in this case, physically adding wax and dye to fabric specifically how I have asked, in order to bring this idea to life. It is kind of a bit overwhelming to think about how many people it takes to pull almost anything together."
You can read the whole story here.
